Dian appointed to Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport

Business leader and prominent Sri Lankan sports administrator Dian Gomes has been appointed to the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) for the period of March 2013 to December 2016.  Gomes is the first Sri Lankan to be appointed to this Advisory Body which was first set up in 2005.

Dian Gomes is known as the architect of the modern day renaissance of boxing in Sri Lanka. He is the Amateur Boxing Association Sri Lanka (ABASL) former president (2004 to 2009), and was instrumental in formulating and defining boxing strategy, which saw a boxers compete at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after 40 years, Sri Lanka’s rise as a strong contender in the Asian and global boxing arena.  

Gomes’ tenure and guidance at the ABASL saw many international medals in boxing, and the upsurge of Women’s boxing in the country.

Gomes’ illustrious sports administration portfolio includes various local and international appointments.  He was the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Marketing Commission Secretary from 2008 to 2009, AIBA Finance Commission Secretary from 2010 to 2011 and is presently a member of the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Athletes and Youth Commission.  

He was the National Association of Fencing, Sri Lanka founder vice president during 2008 to 2010 and was instrumental in the development of this sport from its inception in 2008. He continues to contribute towards the development of Sri Lankan sport in general, through the capacity of Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma announcing the appointment sated: “The knowledge and expertise Dian Gomes bring to CABOS will enrich the contribution it is able to make towards sport and development in the Commonwealth.”

Gomes was nominated through Sri Lanka as a member country of the Commonwealth and is one of only 14 members appointed to CABOS, every four years. The members to the CABOS body are appointed by the Secretary General of Commonwealth, on the recommendation of member governments, the sports and development communities and existing members; involving a protracted and detailed selection process.

The members are selected based on competency, expertise and experience, and is representative of the diversity inherent to the Commonwealth. Drawn from every region of the Commonwealth, the membership includes representatives of the sports community, development sector, academia and Government as well as youth representatives.

Other members appointed in 2013 include Commonwealth Games Federation President H.R.H. Tunku Imran, University of the West Indies, Barbados Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal Sir Hilary Beckles, West and Francophone Africa, Sierra Leone Right To Play Regional Director Dr. Denis Bright; Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports India Secretary Sports P.K. Deb, Local Government and Arts and Sport Deputy Secretary Department of Regional Australia Richard Eccles.

Also Ministerial Special Adviser, Department of Sport and Recreation, South Africa Nceba Maxwell Fuzani, University of Toronto, Canada Professor and Hart House Warden Dr. Bruce Kidd, University of Malaya, Malaysia Dr. Khoo Phaik Lin Selina, National Youth Commissioner Papua New Guinea Norit Luio and Scotland Sport Chair United Kingdom Louise Marti.  Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Sport and Development Agency Director Mark Mungal, Ministry of Youth and Sports Ghana Director Statistics and Information Management Seth Osei-Agyen, and a Youth representative from the Commonwealth SDP Focal Points Working Group/Commonwealth Games Federation, Prof. Bruce Kidd was appointed as interim Chairman.

CABOS is an ardent, evidence-based advocate for sport, for development and peace within the Commonwealth Secretariat and among member and regional governments, and has become a clearing-house for research, submissions to ministers and examples of ‘best practice’. It has helped co-ordinate efforts within the Commonwealth and at other international bodies such as the International working group on sport for development and peace.

CABOS has also been an advisor and a sounding-board on sport policy for the Commonwealth Secretariat on other issues, including policies on girls and women, anti-doping, match-fixing and the integrity of sport.

Gomes stated that he hopes to use this appointment as a platform to contribute to the greater development of sport in the Commonwealth countries, and will leverage this to the benefit of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka sport.